Roadside Breakdowns with the Triumph Trophy SE

I thought I'd be posting about my finish in the Texas 1836 rally but instead am posting about the latest failure on my 2013 Triumph Trophy SE. Well, I guess there is a finish status DNF (did not finish).

Here is the current state of my bike.

I'll post about the Big Tex Rally later (my pictures and files are stranded with my bike in Texas). For now I'll just review the bike failure and status.

The Trophy wasn't up to another multiday rally. On Friday, 10/17/2014 it started missing at Throckmorton, TX. After some discussions with the tech experts at two dealerships it was determined that nothing could be done at the roadside. The consensus was that it was an injector, an electrical problem, or a mechanical problem. Since I could detect no abnormal noised I was hopeful that it was not mechanical and opted to try to limp back to the dealer in Fort Worth. No joy, even though there were no mechanical noises I could hear, the top end gave up the ghost 20 miles later. 

Incredibly, my breakdown was just as I passed a highway patrolman who was engaged with another driver (he was writing a warning for being 15 over). When he finished he arranged for a local tow into Graham, TX so I wouldn't be stranded on the highway. He was a great guy and stuck around to keep me company. I had to pay this $250 out of pocket. I probably should have called my roadside assistance folks because I may not get this reimbursed. 

Since it was silly to go a closed dealership in Forth Worth, I stayed at a motel in Graham ($110) and arranged for my roadside assistance to tow me into the dealer on Saturday 10/18. This $550 tow was covered by the insurance with no out of pocket expense.

This was my daughter's last week in Austin, TX before she moved to Houston, so I was able to get her to come pick me up. We attended the rally finish banquet and then I went to Austin to help her with the move while I waited the time needed to get a cheap Spirit Airlines ticket from Houston to San Diego ($80).

The dealer said if all the stars align it might be repaired in 2 weeks. He tore it down and found a broken valve and a broken camshaft. He submitted a claim amounting to a major engine rebuild and we waited on Triumph to make a decision. On 10/30 the dealer called and said that Triumph was going to replace the engine.

Here is a what the piston looks like.

We are hopeful that the engine will come in and the bike will be ready by 11/15. Just to cover myself I'm making travel arrangements to arrive at the dealer on 11/22. 

I'll fly into Houston on Friday 11/21 via Spirit Airlines ($68) and then take a one way rental car from Houston to Ft Worth ($120).

By the time I get the bike home I will have been without it for over four weeks. Just one more lengthy repair added to the list of lengthy repairs I've already experienced.

These towing, travel, and lodging expenses are what makes a remote breakdown a dire situation. I'm lucky that I am retired and have no job commitments. A poor working stiff might lose a job over something like this.